And Nothing will Tear Us Apart
by Vampire with a Soul
Summary: It's been one year since Ayame Kenobi left to find herself. The Force finally called her back to Courescant, and back to the war. What will Anakin and Kamuro think of their former Master? More importantly, what will Obi-Wan think of his wife? Rated M for language and some later chapters.
1. Return and Reveal

**Greetings, all. I'm sorry this took so long, but I was having the worst time trying to figure this one out. Just Ayame coming back was a chore. At any rate, I should be off on a roll with this one once again, so enjoy!**

 **I do not own Star Wars. I own Ayame.**

Ayame's fighter tore through hyperspace toward Courescant. She took the time to prepare herself. Through a quick mental exercise taught to her by Lana Beniko, she entered a serene state that calmed her presence down to almost negligible. It also allowed her emotions to be completely under her control. She also removed the hood from her cloak, deciding that it was going to be too cumbersome in battle. Ayame managed to finish just as her sublight engines cut in and she dropped into the battle.

A red and yellow fighter were rocketing towards the flagship at breakneck speed. Ayame matched them, slipping in to the main hangar as the red fighter – which she assumed was Anakin – maneuvered over the yellow one and killed the shields. Obi-Wan launched from his fighter almost immediately, and began cutting down battle droids, his blue saber whirling like a blur. Ayame, who pulled her grey hood and mask up, joined him, twin silver swords cutting through the droids as if they weren't there. She heard a third join, and saw Anakin calmly dispatching the Separatist forces. Once all the droids in the hangar, Ayame heard Obi-Wan's saber whirl one more time and come to rest right in front of her face. She knew that he couldn't see her face, but she still had to push down her emotions with him this close.

Obi-Wan observed this grey-clad warrior. She fought with two lightsabers, a rare color of silver. A dark grey sleeveless tunic and pants covered her body, with knee high black boots. She wore black, fingerless gloves and black leather bracers adorned her hands and arms. The bracers were embossed with a silver symbol that Obi-Wan had never seen before. She had no cape or robe, but a cowl the same color as the tunic covered her head, and a black cloth mask covered her face up to her nose. Anakin stayed back a ways, but did not lower his weapon, eyeing the woman.

Ayame looked back at her husband. He had cut his hair but kept his beard. She liked it. Anakin, from what she had seen, was no longer an apprentice, as his braid was gone and he had grown his hair out. It was now a frazzled mess that went to his shoulders. There was also a new scar on his face that she didn't remember. She would have to ask him about it later.

"Who are you?" Obi-Wan demanded.

"The Council sent me," she replied, her voice muffled by the mask.

"That didn't answer my question," Obi-Wan said. "Who are you?"

"A friend," she said simply.

"Does our friend have a name?" Anakin asked.

"Now is not the time to be suspicious," she said, deactivating her lightsabers, and clipping them to either side of her hips on a black leather belt. "The Council sent me, that should be good enough. You can debate who I am after we save Chancellor Palpatine." Obi-Wan's blue eyes widened. He suddenly felt cowed in a way that he hadn't felt in over a year. Something about the tone of voice she was using evoked a memory of… "Are you coming?"

She had already walked away from his lightsaber, and was going towards R2, who had left Anakin's fighter. Anakin and Obi-Wan looked at each other, Anakin having a similar expression on his face, like he had just been told off by his mother. The two Jedi followed the hooded figure, who was whistling excitedly at her approach.

"It's okay, little one," she said, gently. Ayame knew that R2 recognized her. The little astromech was smarter than most of his model. "Not yet," she said quietly. "Mission first, reunion later." R2 beeped and displayed a rough readout of the ship.

"The chancellor's signal is coming from right there," Obi-Wan said, pointing to a pulsating red dot at the top of the ship. "The observation platform at the top of that spire."

"I sense Count Dooku," Anakin said, looking around.

"And I sense a trap," Obi-Wan added.

"Next move?" Anakin asked, looking to Obi-Wan, who grinned.

"Spring the trap." The three Knights walked toward a corridor as R2 beeped at them.

"R2, go back," Anakin ordered. "I need you to stay with the ship."

"Here, take this and wait for orders," Obi-Wan said, throwing a communicator at the droid. They took off at a jog towards the elevators. Almost there, they were attacked by Destroyers, and then walked into an elevator filled with battle droids. Neither were difficult to deal with, just annoying.

 _That much hasn't changed_ , Ayame thought as Anakin pressed the button for the observation platform.

It didn't take long for something to go wrong. The elevator stopped abruptly, nowhere near where they needed to be.

"Did you press the stop button?" Obi-Wan asked Anakin.

"No, did you?" Anakin asked. Both looked at Ayame, who put her hands up. "There's more than one way out of here," Anakin said. He drew his weapon and began cutting through the roof of the elevator.

"We don't want to get out, we want to get moving," Obi-Wan said, pulling out his commlink. "R2, activate elevator 31174," he said, reading off the serial number on the wall. R2 didn't answer right away, and Obi-Wan kept trying. Suddenly, the makeshift hatch Anakin was working on dropped into the elevator, and he leaped out. "Always on the move," Obi-Wan groaned. Ayame thought for a moment, wondering who to follow. Her thoughts were cut short as the elevator plummeted downward, throwing her and Obi-Wan to the floor. "R2, we need to be going up, not down!" Obi-Wan shouted into the commlink when they got up. "He's normally not like this," he added to Ayame, who merely nodded. The elevator stopped abruptly again, throwing the two to the floor…again. Finally, it was rocketing upward again. "That's better," Obi-Wan said, and cut the transmission. Suddenly, someone dropped in, causing both Knights to draw a weapon. "Oh, it's you," Ayame said when she realized it was Anakin.

"What was that all about?" Anakin asked.

"Well, R2 has been," Obi-Wan began.

"Ah ah ah, no loose wire jokes," Anakin said.

"Did I say anything?" Obi-Wan asked, insulted.

"He's trying."

"I didn't say anything!" Ayame looked between the two and smiled, glad to see that they were close as ever.

They encountered no resistance for the rest of the journey, finding the Chancellor trapped in a chair, looking out a massive glass window. The three Knights approached him calmly.

"Chancellor," Obi-Wan greeted him, bowing.

"Are you alright?" Anakin asked him.

"I wasn't expecting three of you," Chancellor Palpatine said.

"The Jedi Council sent me, Supreme Chancellor," Ayame said, bowing as well. While not looking at him, she tried to reach out and sense his true intentions, but nothing came through.

"Count Dooku," Palpatine said suddenly. The three warriors turned and saw the white-haired Sith approaching with two heavy battle droids flanking him. He flipped off the balcony and unclipped his lightsaber from his belt. Anakin and Obi-Wan shed their cloaks and did the same.

"This time, we will do it together," Obi-Wan said to Anakin.

"I was about to say that," Anakin said quietly.

"Get help, you're no match for him. He's a Sith lord," Palpatine insisted. "Perhaps your friend here could be of assistance."

"Chancellor Palpatine, Sith lords are our speciality. Guard the Chancellor," Obi-Wan said, pointing the order ot Ayame, who simply nodded and drew her own weapons.

"Your swords, please," Dooku said. "We don't want to make a mess of things in front of the Chancellor."

"You won't get away this time, Dooku," Obi-Wan said, as he and Anakin activated their lightsabers. There were a few seconds of fighting that Ayame watched carefully.

"I've been looking forward to this," Dooku said, looking between his two opponents.

"My powers have doubled since the last time we met, Count," Anakin said.

"Good," Dooku goaded. "Twice the pride, double the fall." They fought for a few more minutes, during which, Obi-Wan was knocked unconscious and trapped underneath a durasteel balcony.

"No!" Ayame cried, unable to stop herself. Taking a few breaths, she calmed herself and focused on Anakin.

"I sense great fear in you, Skywalker," Dooku taunted Anakin as they locked blades. "You have hate, you have anger…but you don't use them." Ayame activated her swords, readying herself for her own fight. But, it never came. Anakin managed to sever both of Dooku's arms up to his elbows and take his sword. The Sith lord was brought to his knees as Anakin held him by the blades of both sabers.

"Good, Anakin, good," Palpatine said. "Kill him." Dooku and Ayame both looked at him, surprised by the cold tone in his voice. "Kill him now."

"I shouldn't," Anakin said, clearly fighting with himself.

 _Don't, Anakin,_ Ayame thought, quietly pleading.

"Do it!" Palpatine snarled. With some difficulty, Anakin drew the crossed blades across each other, beheading Count Dooku as he did. Ayame deactivated her weapons, furious. Unable to face the Chancellor, she went to see about Obi-Wan, and was joined a few moments later by Anakin.

"Anakin, there's no time," Palpatine insisted as Anakin looked him over. "We must get off this ship before it's too late." Ayame snapped her head up and glared at the Chancellor. She reached out again, harder this time, but was still met with resistance.

"He seems to be all right," Anakin called, ignoring what Palpatine had said.

"Leave him, or we'll never make it," the Chancellor said.

"His fate will be the same as ours," Anakin said, grimly. With Ayame's help, he slung Obi-Wan's body over his shoulders, and the four of them left the chamber for the elevators.

When the reached the elevators, they found them completely nonfunctional. Anakin contacted R2 as the ship started shaking. They were being bombarded by another capital ship, judging by the frequency of the tremors. Suddenly, one, hit its mark, because the ship started plummeting. Ayame forced the door open, and they started running down the elevator shaft like a hallway. Both she and Anakin kept an ear out for the elevator, as it could possibly crush them at the speed that it moved. They were about halfway down the shaft when the ship began to level out, turning their hallway into a shaft again. Palpatine grabbed Anakin's leg as they began to slide. Reaching with his artificial hand, Anakin found a cable to grab on to, while Ayame found a ledge. As they dangled, Obi-Wan woke up, and let out a cry of surprise when he saw where they were.

"Easy," Ayame said. "We're in a bit of a situation here."

"Did I miss something?" Obi-Wan asked. Anakin was about to answer when a familiar – and terrifying – sound hit their ears. "What's that?"

"Um….oops," Anakin said. They all looked up and saw the elevator racing toward them. "R2, R2 shut down the elevator," Anakin called.

"Too late, jump!" Obi-Wan grunted, and all four of them began sliding down the shaft, Palpatine still clinging to Anakin's leg. The three Jedi pulled out grappling hooks, tossed them up, and swung themselves through an open door just in time. "Let's see if we can find something in the hangar bay that's still flyable," Obi-Wan said, looking back at the shaft.

"R2, get down here," Anakin said into his commlink, and the party started jogging toward the hangar.

Halfway down a hallway, they were caught in ray shields.

"Ray shields," Anakin said, stating the obvious.

"Wait a minute," Obi-Wan said. "How did this happen? We're smarter than this."

"Apparently not," Anakin remarked. "I say patience."

"Patience?" Ayame asked.

"Yes. R2 will be along in a few moments, and he'll release the ray shields," Anakin said, confidently. As if on cue, a nearby door opened, and the astromech came barreling in, screaming as he did so. He crashed into the other wall and shuddered a bit, shaking his domed head. Ayame smiled at him, glad to see that he had the same personality that she loved and missed. "See? No problem," Anakin said.

But he spoke too soon.

Destroyers rolled in behind R2, followed by multiple heavy and regular battle droids coming down the hall and through other doors.

"Do you have a plan B?" Obi-Wan asked. Anakin did not answer.

The four of them were brought to the bridge, where the leader of the Separatist army, General Grievous, was waiting for them. Ayame didn't know much about him. From appearances, he was a cyborg, though there was very little left that was organic. From the face shape, she guessed he was originally Kaleesh.

"Ah, yes, the negotiator," Grievous said as they were brought on to the bridge. "General Kenobi. We've been waiting for you. That wasn't much of a rescue," he added as a battle droid handed over their lightsabers. Obi-Wan took a moment to get a look at their friend's weapons. The lightsaber hilts were bright red, with black grips and detailing. He made a mental note to ask where she found the silver crystals, as those were rare. "And, Anakin Skywalker," Grievous continued after a hacking cough. "I was expecting someone with your reputation to be a little older." Ayame looked over at Anakin, who kept his face even, despite Grievous coughing and wheezing in his face.

"General Grievous…you're shorter than I expected," Anakin fired back, keeping his voice as even as his face.

"Jedi scum," Grievous spat. Then, he turned to Ayame, who's heart began to race. She could stop Grievous from touching her without trying very hard, but she was sure Anakin and Obi-Wan would recognize her presence. On the other hand, if he removed her hood and mask, they would see her anyway. "And who do we have here? Unusual for Jedi to hide their appearance." Before Ayame could decide what to do, Grievous ripped her mask and hood off her face, leaving her face exposed, glaring at the warlord. Her hazel eyes then shifted over to Anakin and Obi-Wan, who were staring at her in complete shock. She quickly looked away, unable to look at either of them.

OBI-WAN POV

Ayame. My Ayame. She was back.

Her long hair had been cropped short, and there were a few new scars on her face, but it was definitely my wife. In the briefest moment when our eyes met, I saw that she was both happy to see me, and sad that she hadn't been able to reveal herself on her own terms. Her emotions washed over me like a tsunami. The main one was anger, one that I had never felt in her before. It worried me.

But we had a job to do, and I had to focus on the mission.

THIRD PERSON

"Master Ayame?" she heard the Chancellor say. "You've returned?"

"Ayame Melma," Grievous said. "I had heard you ran from the war. Come to make up for your cowardice?" Ayame didn't answer. Rather, she closed her eyes and calmed herself. "Regardless, your lightsabers will make a fine addition to my collection," Grievous continued. He opened his cape, revealing two more lightsabers already slotted in, and put their lightsabers next to them.

"Not this time," Obi-Wan said. "And this time, you won't escape."

"R2!" Anakin said. The droid began to go berserk, all his instruments popping out of their slots, and his stun gun flailing wildly. Obi-Wan brought his lightsaber to him, cutting himself and Anakin free. Ayame did the same, calling her twin sabers to her. With one, she cut herself free, and with the other, she cut down the two droids flanking her. The two Jedi engaged Grievous' bodyguard droids, while Ayame got busy with the rest of the droids on the bridge. Anakin made short work of his, freeing the Chancellor at the same time, and joined Ayame in clearing the bridge. Many of the droids, as well as the captain, ran off in fear. Obi-Wan was the last to join in the fray, until all three had Grievous cornered.

"You lose, General Kenobi!" he cried, and slammed his bodyguard's electrostaff into the glass of the bridge. Without thinking, everyone grabbed something to hold on to as the glass shattered, opening into space. Everyone held on for dear life, except for Grievous, who could survive without oxygen. He allowed himself to be pulled out of the ship, and climbed along the exterior.

The blast shields automatically closed on the bridge, sealing them off. The humans all gasped for breath, long enough for Grievous to launch all the escape pods on the ship.

"Can you fly a cruiser like this?" Obi-Wan asked Anakin.

"You mean do I know how to land what's left of this thing," Anakin corrected him. Ayame checked a few screens. The ship was in bad shape, barely functioning.

"Well?"

"Under the circumstances, I'd say the ability to pilot this thing is irrelevant," Anakin said. "Strap yourselves in." Everyone but the Chancellor took a seat in front of a control station. "Open all hatches. Extend all flaps and drag fins," Anakin ordered. R2, Obi-Wan, and Ayame moved to obey. Anakin was the best pilot they had ever met, so in situations like this, he was in charge. Suddenly, the ship rocked horribly, and the sound of screeching, breaking metal reached their ears. A quick scan of the ship showed…that half of the ship had been ripped off by the force of reentry. "We lost something," Anakin said.

"Not to worry, we're still flying half a ship," Obi-Wan said, trying to bring some hope to the situation. They continued their plummet toward the capital, Ayame trying to do what she could from her end. They began to speed up, and entered the atmosphere much too fast.

"5000," Obi-Wan read out as they cleared the atmosphere. "Fire ships on the left and the right." Ayame looked out the window and saw the mentioned ships putting out the fires on the ship caused by their entry. "There's a landing strip straight ahead," he pointed out.

"We're coming in too hot!" Anakin exclaimed. There wasn't much they could do, but Anakin tried anyway. Finally, they made contact with the landing strip. The resulting friction slowly ground them to a halt. Once they were still, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and looked at each other.

"Another happy landing," Obi-Wan said, running his hand through his hair and grinning.


	2. Reunite and Rejoice

**I do not own Star Wars. I own Ayame and Kamuro.**

One shuttle took Obi-Wan, Anakin, and the Chancellor back to the Senate. Another took Ayame to the Jedi Temple. Walking through those doors again brought back memories.

The first time she met Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.

Being chosen as Yoda's Padawan.

The classes and Masters that taught them.

Discovering the prophecy in the archives that led to her and Obi-Wan being married.

Her wedding.

Choosing her own Padawan.

 _My Padawan!_ she thought. She went into the main hallways and found the first Padawan she saw.

"Excuse me, do you know where I can find Kamuro Dayspirit?" she asked.

"He's teaching a strategy class in holo room 4," the Padawan, a young boy of about 13 with black hair and blue eyes, said.

"Thank you, Padawan," she said. He inclined his head slightly and went about his day. Ayame found her former Padawan in front of a group of Padawans, all around 15 years old, showing them a battlefield layout that she recognized as the Battle of Takodana. He was explaining the mistakes made by one side that led to their defeat when his eyes met Ayames, causing him to stop mid-sentence. The class, noticing his pause, all looked at the door.

"Um, Master Dayspirit?" one Padawan, a green skinned Twilek girl, called. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine, Te'runa," he said, still looking at Ayame. "That will be all for today. Read up on the Devastation of Ubduria for next lesson. Dismissed." Every Padawan stood, bowed, and exited one by one. A few of them were talking about class, while others spared her a passing glance. Once they were all gone, Kamuro addressed her.

"Master Ayame…you're back!" he said, seemingly fighting to compose himself. Deciding to make the first move, Ayame walked into the room and embraced her former Padawan. Kamuro took the cue well and pulled Ayame into a massive hug. He was much taller than her, and she was pulled off her feet, causing her to give a small squeal in surprise.

"It's good to see you again, Kamuro," Ayame said when he finally let go. "They've got you teaching, I see."

"When I'm not on the battlefield, yes," Kamuro replied. "Master, where have you been? Your message was very cryptic."

"I've been everywhere," she said. "Taris, Tython, Korriban, to name a few."

"Did you find what you were looking for?" the Trianii asked.

"I did," Ayame replied, thinking back to Odessen. "I've got everything under control, now."

"I'm glad to hear it, and I'm glad you came back when you did. The Republic is going to need you," Kamuro said, walking with her out of the classroom.

"Welcome back, Master Ayame," a gravelly voice said to their left. Ayame and Kamuro turned to see Master Yoda in his hoverchair, giving a warm, wise smile. Ayame smiled, turned to her former Master, and bowed.

"Thank you, Master Yoda," she said.

"Kamuro, needed in the briefing room, you are. Master Kenobi has returned," Yoda said to Kamuro, who nodded, bowed, and briskly walked off. Ayame watched him go, the brown robe of the Jedi Order flowing behind him as he walked.

"He's grown up," Ayame said as she watched him walk away.

"A fine Jedi, he has become," Yoda agreed. "And you, grown yourself, you have."

"I feel…better, Master," Ayame said. "Like I'm who I was meant to be."

"More at peace, and stronger with the Force, you have become. Followed the Gray path, you have," Yoda observed.

"I have," Ayame confirmed. Yoda merely nodded and navigated his chair in the direction Kamuro had gone. Ayame followed him to the briefing room, where other masters had gathered, including Obi-Wan. Masters Windu and Mundi were not surprised to see her, but Masters Agen Kolar and Depa Billaba were more surprised.

"Ayame Kenobi," Master Kolar said, giving voice to his shock. "You've returned."

"Greetings, Masters," Ayame said, bowing.

"The Gray Jedi are returning, it seems," Windu commented.

"The Gray have been in exile for over a century," Kolar said.

"And yet, one stands before us," Mundi said, motioning to Ayame.

"With respect, Masters, we must discuss this later," Kamuro said, activating the holoprojector as Anakin joined them, looking flushed.

"My apologies for being late," he muttered as he walked in. Ayame could already sense that his mind was elsewhere, but she chose to remain silent.

The briefing on the current state of the Republic was…disturbing in Ayame's eyes. So much had changed in the short year she had been gone, and the more she watched, the guiltier she felt.

"Ayame? Is everything all right?" Windu asked, breaking Ayame from her reverie.

"Fine, Master Windu," she said, a little too quickly. Windu looked at her, seeing straight through her, she could feel it. But, he continued. Once the briefing was over, all but Yoda, Obi-Wan, Master Windu, and Anakin remained.

"Master Ayame, where have you been?" Anakin spurted out as soon as the doors shut behind Kamuro. "We needed you!"

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said, scolding him.

"No, Obi-Wan, he's right," Ayame said, holding her hand up slightly to stop him. "I left right when the war began, and judging by the briefing, it's been long and difficult. You needed everyone that could fight, and I left. To answer your question, Anakin, I left because I'm not a Jedi…not anymore." Yoda and Mace stayed silent, observing with calm expressions. Anakin's eyes grew wide with shock, and Obi-Wan looked at his wife, unsure of what to say. "Qui-Gon said a long time ago that I was different. Being a Jedi…felt…wrong. I never truly felt like I belonged. Even training a Padawan to a Knight was difficult for me, and not just because being a teacher and mentor is hard. I had to fight to make sure I was training him to be a Jedi, not someone like me. I gave myself to the will of the Force, and I travelled the Galaxy, all the way out to the depths of Wild Space. I trained with Sith and Jedi alike, and the more I trained, the more I realized that I am not a Jedi. I am a Gray Jedi. I've always been one."

"That's why you could use Dark Side techniques at an early age," Obi-Wan said softly, thinking back to her first day and their first sparring match. Ayame nodded. There was a tense moment of silence. With a small sigh, Ayame walked over to Anakin, who was still towering over her. She smiled slightly, and gently traced the scar over his right eye.

"What happened here?" she asked.

"Lightsaber duel," he replied, quietly. "Dooku's former apprentice."

"I'm glad it's just a scar," Ayame said. Anakin looked at her, and the two couldn't help but smile. He then wrapped his arms around her and gave her a tight hug, though he came down to her level. Ayame gladly hugged him back.

"For what it's worth, Anakin, there wasn't a day that I didn't think about you. Any of you," she said, tears coming to her eyes.

"I'm just glad you're back, Ayame," Anakin said. She could hear his voice cracking. They pulled apart, and she could see tears in his eyes. She chuckled and wiped them away with her thumbs.

"Come, Anakin," Mace said. "Let's give them some privacy." Anakin nodded and followed Yoda and Mace out, leaving Ayame and Obi-Wan alone in the room.

The silence was palpable. Neither one could look at the other. Finally, Obi-Wan took the initiative.

"You cut your hair," he said.

"Had to," Ayame replied. "K'lor Slug got me by my braid, so I had to slice it off to get away." She then looked to Obi-Wan's own new cut. "You cut yours, too."

"I just felt the need to," Obi-Wan said, running a hand through his hair. "Nothing nearly as exciting." Both of them chuckled and looked around the room.

"Ben," Ayame said, rubbing the back of her neck. "I know I left without much warning, but I was becoming a danger. I shot lightning off in the Chancellor's office without trying. My emotions were getting out of hand."

"Yes, you said as much in your message," Obi-Wan replied, secretly relieved to hear his nickname again. "May, why didn't you just tell me?"

"Because you would have tried to stop me," she said, glad to hear her nickname. He nodded, silently admitting that he would have.

"I thought about you every day," Obi-Wan said, drawing closer to his wife for the first time since she returned.

"And I you," Ayame said, moving to close the distance. There was a tense moment between them where they just stared into each other's eyes, waiting for one of them to give in and make the first move.

Unable to resist any longer, Obi-Wan flung an arm around her waist, grabbed the back of her head with the other hand, and crashed his lips to hers. Simultaneously, Ayame placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled him to her. The kiss that they shared was so passionate and so powerful that every single Jedi in the temple sensed it. The joy of their reunion radiated through the Force like tidal waves. Those nearest to the briefing room saw a glow of white light filled the room. On his way back to Padme, Anakin even sensed it, and couldn't help but smile.

The glow died down as they pulled apart, and the two of them just looked at each other, taking in every single detail of each other's faces. Without a word, they walked out of the briefing room, up to Obi-Wan's room, and did not come out for the rest of the day. No one was sure what happened in there, but at one point, another tidal wave coursed through the Force, and lasted much longer. It wasn't as strong as when they first met, so the feeling was not shared. Perhaps it was for the best, some said. After all, what else would a husband and wife be doing when one hasn't seen the other in so long?

"Do they really have to do that here?" Mace asked aloud that night as he and Master Yoda were discussing council business.

"Where else would they go?" Yoda replied. "Together, they were meant to be, and together is where they belong."

Ayame lay in bed that night, curled up next to Obi-Wan. Both were exhausted and covered in sweat, but neither had ever felt happier. She absently drew circles on his bare chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. Obi-Wan had one arm behind his head, and the other holding his wife, stroking her short hair.

"You haven't lost your touch," Ayame said.

"Neither have you," Obi-Wan replied. She hummed, smiling at his compliment. That smile faded slightly as a question reentered her mind that she had been contemplating much as of late. "What's wrong?" he asked, looking at her.

"It's nothing," Ayame said. Obi-Wan pulled his arm out from under her and propped himself up on his elbow, facing her.

"Ayame, what is it? Something is bothering you," he insisted. Sighing, Ayame sat up and faced her husband.

 **There will be a lemony chapter of sorts for anyone interested in reading it. I just have to finish writing it first ;). Not completely necessary, obviously, but for those of you in to that sort of thing, I will provide one.**

"Would you ever want children?"


	3. Contemplation and Compromise

**Apologies for the long wait, but this one has proven to be difficult to continue.**

 **I do not own Star Wars. I own Ayame.**

"Children?" Ayame didn't like the shock in Obi-Wan's voice. She had been completely expecting it, but that didn't make it any easier. "Ayame, we talked about this. We are Jedi first. Our responsibility is to the Order. Besides, it took a prophecy about us to even get married. The Council..."

"I'm not a Jedi, anymore, remember?" Ayame pointed out. "The Council can't tell me what I can and cannot do anymore."

"But they can tell me," Obi-Wan countered. "And I'm on the Council, so I even more responsibilities."

"Yes, but...wait...you're on the Council?" Ayame said, caught off guard by his statement.

"Yes," Obi-Wan replied, a sheepish grin crossing his face. Ayame's jaw dropped, and turned into a smile.

"Congratulations," she said, meaning it. Being on the Jedi Council was one of the highest honors a Jedi Master could earn, even in one of the temporary positions. She wasn't sure which position he held, but she was still proud of him.

"What brought this on?" Obi-Wan asked, returning to the subject at hand.

"Something one of my teachers said," Ayame replied.

"Your teachers?"

"I spent some time on Odessen, a planet out in Wild Space," she explained. "While there, I came across the remnants of the Eternal Alliance. Many powerful Jedi and Sith fought there, including Grand Master Satele Shan...and Revan."

"Revan?" Obi-Wan repeated, amazed. Revan was often used as an example of both the temptation of the Dark Side and the Redemption of Sith. There wasn't a Jedi alive that didn't know his name.

"He reminded me that the creation of life was nothing to be ashamed of, and said that not even thinking about it was robbing myself of both experience and love," Ayame continued. "I just...thinking about that made me realize that we had never had a serious conversation about children." Obi-Wan was about to argue when he realized that they never had that conversation on the level it should have been had. It had never even been considered.

"You're right," he said. "We never seriously talked about it." He adjusted himself so that he was facing her square on. "Once this nasty business of the war is finished, then we will talk about it. I promise." He gently held his wife's face with both hands, and they met each other's eyes. Ayame smiled.

"Okay," she said. Obi-Wan gently smiled and pulled her into a kiss. It was a chaste seal of the vow he had just made...but it didn't stay chaste for long.

XXX

The following day, Obi-Wan had to take in reports on the Outer Rim sieges, where he and Anakin had been pulled from to rescue the Chancellor. Ayame decided to go with him, to get more of an idea of the state of the Galaxy.

The report was as grim as the one she had witnessed the other day. The sieges, according to Obi-Wan, were going well, but the idea of the fighting still have Ayame an uneasy feeling, along with making hher feel even more guilty. All during the reports, the other Jedi in the room kept glancing at her. Some with looks of pure curiosity, others with looks of disdain. At one point, she pulled her hood up over her head to conceal her face.

As Jedi filed out of the room after the business was concluded, Anakin rushed in.

"You missed the report on the outer rim sieges," Obi-Wan said, shutting down the equipment.

"I'm sorry, I was held up," Anakin said. "I have no excuse."

"In short, they are going very well," Obi-Wan said, giving him the short version. "Saleucami has fallen, and Master Voz has moved his troops to Boz Pity." Despite the good news, Obi-Wan did not look happy, and Anakin noticed.

"What's wrong, then?" he asked.

"The Senate is expected to vote more executive powers to the Chancellor, today," Obi-Wan replied, sighing.

"Well, that can only mean less deliberation and more action," Anakin pointed out. "Is that bad? It will make it easier for us to end this war." Obi-Wan observed his former apprentice with slight disbelief. Ayame came out of her corner, putting her hood down and observing Anakin. She wasn't surprised at Anakin's way of thinking. He had always been very impulsive. However, she was worried about giving one man so much power. The Senate was there to prevent the Chancellor from overstepping his bounds. The fact that Palpatine was still in power and was getting more power by the day worried her.

"Be careful of your friend, Palpatine," Obi-Wan warned, going to leave the room.

"Be careful of what?" Anakin asked.

"He has requested your presence," Obi-Wan replied, walking up the stairs. "Yours as well, Ayame." Ayame followed the two, as curious as Anakin seemed.

"What for?" Anakin asked.

"He would not say," Obi-Wan said.

"He didn't inform the Council?" Anakin wondered. "I mean, for Master Ayame, that's not strange, but for me? Isn't that unusual?"

"All of this is unusual," Obi-Wan answered. "And it's making me feel uneasy." He walked Ayame and Anakin to the shuttle bay. Anakin got in without a word, but Obi-Wan stopped Ayame. "Be wary," he whispered. "Something isn't right."

"I can tell," she agreed. She then brushed his bangs out of his face with a small grin. "Don't worry. I'll be careful." He smiled and gave her a soft kiss. "I love you."

"And I love you," he replied. She climbed in to the speeder with Anakin, and the two took off for the Chancellor's office. On the way there, Ayame decided to breech a subject that she knew had to be breeched.

"How's Padme?" she asked. Anakin looked at her, surprise written all over his face.

"How would I know?" he stammered. Ayame gave him a knowing smile.

"Anakin, I know I'm not your mother, but I helped raise and train you. Besides, I saw your face during those reports yesterday. It looked very familiar," she said.

"Familiar how?"

"I saw it on myself, and on Obi-Wan," Ayame answered. "Anakin, you're in love with Padme, aren't you?" Anakin didn't answer, which gave her all the answer she needed. She sighed and adjusted her tunic.

"It's a little more than love," Anakin replied. Ayame looked at him, and after only a moment, she realized what he meant.

"Ani...is Padme pregnant?" she asked softly. He looked at her, a nervous look on his face. Ayame took a breath and looked forward, unsure of what to say.

"It's a wonderful thing, Ayame," Anakin said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself more than her. Ayame studied him for a moment, trying to get a read on him. He was guarding himself very well, so she simply put a hand on his arm.

"Ani, I'm not your teacher anymore," she said. "But, I want you to know that you can come to me for anything. You've been like a son to me ever since we left Tatooine, and now that I'm not in the Order, I can let myself feel like that. If you or Padme want to talk, I'm here." Anakin looked over at her and gave her his crooked grin that she loved so much.

"Thank you, Ayame," he said, meaning it.

XXX

Anakin went into the Chancellor's office first, giving Ayame time to prepare herself. It had been a while since she had been in that office. The last time she was there, she had allowed her emotions to get the better of her and let lightning spark from her hands. While the Chancellor had said nothing to her during the rescue, she wondered if he would say something now.

The memory put Ayame at ease, and she decided to focus on Anakin for the briefest of moments, and was surprised to find excitement. The Chancellor must have told him something he was very pleased to hear. When he came out of the office, he was grinning. The Chancellor watched Anakin walk out of his office, a pleased look on his face, and he then locked eyes with Ayame.

"Ah, Master Ayame," he said, motioning for her to enter. She stood up, straightened her tunic, and walked into the office.

"I'm glad to see you in health, Excellency," Ayame said, bowing. She looked around the office and, with a pang of guilt, saw the burn marks that her lightning had left behind. Palpatine followed her gaze and chuckled.

"A reminder that even the strongest of us can lose control," he said. Ayame looked at him again, and saw him smiling, though the smile did not reach his eyes. It never seemed to do so, as Ayame could recall observing that many times.

"I would hardly consider myself the strongest," she replied. "Especially since I no longer call the Order home."

"Yes, I noticed the change in uniform, as well as your new lightsabers," Palpatine remarked, beginning to walk around his office. Ayame followed, keeping several inches between them. "I wanted to speak to you personally, Master...ah, but I forget, it isn't 'Master' anymore, is it?"

"The head of the Gray Jedi is often referred to as Bansasu no Kage," Ayame replied. "I have no students to speak of, but I suppose Kage would be appropriate." Palpatine nodded his understanding before continuing.

"Very well. Kage Ayame, I wanted to thank you for your aid concerning my rescue. Your face is a welcome sight, despite your slight change in role," he said.

"I simply asked the Council where I could be of most help when I returned," Ayame replied. "I was happy to help."

"Yes, I wished to ask you that as well," he continued, turning to face her. Ayame's hazel eyes met his own greenish ones. "Despite no longer belonging to the Jedi Order, I wanted to make sure that your loyalties have not changed." Ayame studied him. There was more to his request than he was saying, that much she was sure of.

"Chancellor, what do you know of the Gray Jedi?" she asked.

"Less than I should, I'm afraid," he admitted.

"Our code says: 'There is no Dark Side, nor a Light Side. There is only the Force. I will do what I must to keep the balance. The balance is what keeps me together. There is no good without evil, but evil must not be allowed to flourish.' What do you believe that means?" she asked, taking her role as a teacher once again.

"That you cannot be loyal to one side or the other," Palpatine replied.

"Correct," Ayame said. "There is no balance, and no indication of who will win this war. Therefore, my loyalties can only lie with one people: the innocent." Palpatine looked as though he was going to say something, but he bit his tongue when Ayame's gaze pierced his own. "You have my word, Chancellor, that I will always put my life on the line for the innocent who cannot defend themselves."

"I suppose that is the best outcome I can hope for," Palpatine replied, sighing. "If you will excuse me, Kage Ayame, I have much work to do." Ayame bowed and left the office without a word.

XXX

There was a session of the Jedi Council called almost as soon as Anakin and Ayame returned to the Temple. According to Anakin, Palpatine had appointed him as a representative of the Chancellor on the Jedi Council. That made Ayame worried. The Order was supposed to be separate from the Senate and all affiliated offices. They handled their own business, and had their own laws that coincided with the laws of the Republic, which was what the Council was for. While she wanted to be happy for Anakin, but she was more worried for what this was going to do to his ego. Anakin had always been praised for his abilities, even as a child, and all of that had gone to his head. Both she and Obi-Wan had done their best to temper it, but this would undo all of the good work that they had done. All she could do was hope that the Council gave him some responsibility and humility.

When they arrived at the Council chambers, Ayame was surprised to see a seat for her, as well as one for Anakin. As she had no council or members of her own to speak of, it was agreed that she be allowed to be a part of talks as a guest and ally, especially since they were concerning the war.

"With respect, you understand that my duty is to the balance of the Force," she gently reminded the Council, looking at Obi-Wan specifically. "I cannot officially side with the Republic, the Separatists, or even you."

"We understand that," Obi-Wan said. "However, considering our current situation, we would humbly request your help in the relief effort, especially with so many refugees and families trying to flee to safety."

"I would be honored to be of aid," Ayame replied, relieved that they had taken her stance into consideration already. Obi-Wan motioned to a seat next to him, and Ayame took it. They then turned their attention to their newest appointee, Anakin.

"Allow this appointment lightly, the Council does not," Yoda began, addressing the young Knight. "Disturbing is this move my Chancellor Palpatine."

"I understand," Anakin said, doing his best to contain his excitement.

"You are on this Council, but we do not grant you the rank of Master," Master Windu said. Ayame's hopes had been answered. In the Order, a Jedi did not achieve the rank of Master until successfully training a Padawan to the rank of Knight.

"What?" Anakin asked, surprised. He looked around at the other Council members, particularly to Obi-Wan. "How can you do this? It's outrageous! It's unfair! How can you be on the Council and not be a Master?" Anakin was angry, as everyone expected him to be. Her first instinct was to scold him, but she reminded herself that it was no longer her place.

"Take a seat, young Skywalker," Master Windu said, motioning to the other empty seat in the circle. His tone was stern, but calm, and the look on his face was all the admonishment Anakin needed. That was something Ayame always liked about Mace Windu. He never had any tolerance for foolishness or tantrums. His heart was always in the right place, but he never coddled.

"Forgive me, Master," Anakin said, sheepishly bowing and doing as he was told. Every Master in the room watched him sit down, slight looks of frustration on their faces. Ayame locked eyes with him, and gave him the best motherly-scolding look she had. Their eye contact didn't last long. All Obi-Wan could do was shake his head.

"We have surveyed all systems in the Republic, but have found no sign of General Grievous," Master Mundi, who was attending via holocomm, said.

"Hiding in the Outer Rim, Grievous is," Yoda said. "The outlying systems, you must sweep."

"We do not have many ships to spare," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"What about the droid attack on the Wookiees?" Mundi asked.

"It is critical we send an attack group there immediately," Master Windu agreed.

"He's right. It's a system we cannot afford to lose," Obi-Wan said.

"Go, I will," Yoda said. "Good relations with the Wookiees, I have. Kage Ayame, would you join me?"

"Of course," Ayame replied, inclining her head. "I'm sure there is plenty for me to do there."

"It's settled, then," Master Windu said. "Yoda and Kage Ayame will take a battalion of clones to reinforce the Wookiees on Kashyyyk. May the Force be with us all."


	4. Fight and Forgive

**I do not own Star Wars. I own Ayame.**

Obi-Wan and Anakin went off to have a talk while Yoda and Ayame prepared for their journey to Kashyyyk. Ayame had visited this planet once before, but she had stayed to isolated parts of the planet, following the steps of Revan in his search for the Star Maps. She'd had very little interactions with the Wookiees, but they were friendly ones, and she had departed in peace. Now, she was going to be in the thick of things, aiding wherever she could. A part of her wanted to be in the thick of the fighting, but she wasn't sure if she even should bring her weapons.

Once they were prepared, she, Yoda, Master Windu, and Obi-Wan boarded a clone troop transport for the fleet.

"Anakin did not take to his new assignment with much enthusiasm," Obi-Wan said as they flew through the Courescant skies. He had mentioned it to Ayame before going to speak with Anakin, and she had expected this response. Palpatine had kept a close eye on Anakin's training once it had begun, a watch that Obi-Wan and Ayame didn't like.

"It's very dangerous putting them together," Windu said softly. "I don't think the boy can handle it. I don't trust him." The final statement made Obi-Wan look at him in surprise.

"With all due respect, Master, is he not the Chosen one?" Obi-Wan asked. "Is he not to destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force?"

"So the prophecy says," Windu replied, not sounding convinced.

"A prophecy that misread, could have been," Yoda added. Ayame kept her mouth shut, but Obi-Wan asked her anyway.

"What do you think, Ayame?" he asked.

"You don't want to know what I think," she said quietly, looking into her husband's baby blue eyes. He faltered for a minute, then looked around.

"He will not let me down," he said, confidently. "He never has."

"I hope right, you are," Yoda replied.

They landed in a staging area, where one of the massive carrier ships was being loaded with equipment, tanks, and soldiers. They were greeted by a Wookiee ambassador, who seemed very happy to see them. The Wookiee language, Shyriiwook, was very hard to understand. Ayame's understanding was spotty at best, but Yoda had a solid grasp. Before Ayame could join Yoda, Obi-Wan pulled her aside.

"What did you mean back there?" he asked softly. "That I didn't want to know what you thought."

"I said that because you don't, Ben," she replied. "What I think will make you doubt everything about me."

"That could never happen," he said, trying to assure her. Ayame frowned and squared off to her husband.

"The Sith will never be destroyed because the Dark side can never be destroyed," she said, her voice stern. "There can be no good without evil, but evil must not be allowed to flourish. That is a part of my Code. Right now, by my count, there is only one Sith remaining. We don't know if the Sith master or apprentice was destroyed with Dooku was killed. Either way, one still remains, and one will always remain. Anakin cannot destroy the Sith. They will always exist." Obi-Wan backed away slightly from his wife, in shock at the words coming out of her mouth. "I've changed, Ben. I'm not the girl you once knew, nor the Jedi I used to be. I've never been a Jedi, not really. The only thing that hasn't changed is how I feel about you. That will never, ever change." Ayame gave a small smile and tried to walk towards Ben. Something made her stop and made the smile vanish.

Doubt. She sensed doubt coming from him. The smile became wry, and she gave a single chuckle.

"You should guard your feelings a little better, Master Kenobi," she said, then turned on her heel and joined Yoda on the ship.

Obi-Wan was left standing there, aghast. She had never called him Master Kenobi, and she had never left without so much as a goodbye. Then, he realized that he had been doubting her. He hadn't noticed it because he saw the tears in her eyes when she stopped, and became worried.

 _Go after her, or you'll regret it forever_ ," a voice in his head said. He ran as fast as he could, calling her name and catching her on the boarding ramp.

"You're right, Ayame," he said, holding her arm fast as she tried to wrench it from his grasp. "You're right, I was doubting you. I haven't come to terms with how you've changed, and it's going to take me some time. The Jedi have been my whole life, I've known almost nothing else, and up until a year ago, neither did you. Please, at least help me to understand." Ayame turned and looked at her husband. He was silently begging for forgiveness, a look in his eyes that made her hardened glare soften almost immediately.

"Do you truly wish to understand?" she asked. He nodded. Ayame heard a small, gravelly voice behind her.

"Trust is a rare thing to come by, Ayame," Yoda said behind her. "Forgiveness, even more rare. Remember your vows, you must." Ayame sighed and smiled. Despite everything, she still had much to learn. She walked back down the ramp and into her husband's waiting arms.

"You're right," she said. "You've never known anything else. I'm sorry I allowed myself to doubt you. But what I said is true. No matter what, I love you."

"And I'm sorry I ever doubted you," he replied. "I'll always love you for who you are." They smiled at each other and shared a kiss.

"Come back to me," he said.

"Always," she answered. Ayame walked back up the boarding ramp, her hand and Obi-Wan's touching as long as they could. Obi-Wan walked off the ramp and back to the transport, watching the massive ship close the ramps and prepare to take off.

"There's a reason Jedi don't marry," Windu commented. Obi-Wan looked at him, and he was smiling. "But there's a reason you two broke that rule."

XXX

On the journey to Kashyyyk, Ayame took the time to meditate and train. She couldn't afford to allow her body to become soft, nor her wit dull. The training in a simulation room went well, with a few onlookers in the troops watching with interest. Her meditation, however, presented some difficulty.

The vision she'd had over a year ago in the Chancellor's office had begun to haunt her again. The same figure standing in the flaming wreckage of the Jedi Temple. Now, the figure was more clear, and it caused Ayame even more pain. She pulled away from the vision with a jolt and a gasp.

"Every time," she muttered.

"You should be careful when sensing the future, Ayame," a voice said to her left. She looked over to see the spectral form of Qui-Gon, hands folded into the wide sleeves of his robe.

"So I've been told," Ayame replied, unfolding her legs and stretching. "I want to prevent this from happening, but Master Yoda always said that trying to prevent a vision often leads to its realization."

"Have you told Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon asked.

"I've told him about what I saw...but not who," she said, looking down. "If I told him who I saw, it would break his heart, and I just can't do that to him." Qui-Gon came and sat down next to her.

"Should this vision come to pass, it won't take Obi-Wan long to find out the truth," he said. "By sharing this with him, you may, in fact, soften the blow."

"Our last conversation doesn't bode well, either," Ayame pointed out. She regaled her old Master about what had been said right before she left. Qui-Gon was silent for a time, pondering what she had said.

"I see why you hesitate, but you need to have faith in him," he finally said. "You said that he realized what he said when you showed that you were hurt. Perhaps he is more ready to hear about this than you think." Ayame was about to reply, when a message came over the loudspeaker and the ship dropped out of hyperspace.

"All troops and officers please report to the launch bay for final briefing," a deep male voice said. "All troops and officers please report to the launch bay for final briefing." Ayame, who looked up at the speaker as it sounded, looked next to her to see Qui-Gon gone. She heaved a sigh, thinking back on his words.

 _You need to have faith in him_.

 _But will he have faith in me after I tell him?_ She wondered as she swung her cloak over her shoulders. Grabbing her lightsabers, she rushed out the door and to the main launch bay, where their Wookiee ambassador was already showing them where the battle was going to take place.

"Is there somewhere where I can keep your innocent safe?" she asked. The Wookiee gave an affirmative grunt and showed her a new place on the map that looked like a bunker that had been carved into a huge cliff side. Two small squads of troops were allocated to go with her and protect the elderly, women, and children that were going there for safety. The battle itself was going to happen on a beach, but everyone was being evacuated as a precaution. Wookiees were fierce warriors, and would never willingly retreat while defending their home.

Yoda went with the rest of the army to fight the droids, though Ayame wished she was going with him. All this cabin fever was beginning to get to her.

XXX

At the bunker, Ayame was happy to see a large squad of Wookiees already defending everything. She commanded her clone troops to spread out and fill in holes, allowing some of the native race to return to their brothers to fight. The captain went with her inside to assess capacity, supplies, and an escape route, just in case they were going to be in for the long fight.

The inner cavern was massive, and was well carved out. There were paintings all over the walls depicting past battles, hunts, and victories. The stores were well-filled and preserved, and there was plenty of room inside. The only thing that bothered Ayame was that there was no obvious escape plan, and the Captain, named Zak, couldn't find any.

Many of the Wookiees in the cavern stayed away from Ayame, given her darker clothing and two weapons made her slightly less Jedi-like. Some of the young ones, however, proved to be more curious than scared. One very young Wookiee (who almost reached Ayame's chest in height) even came up to her and tugged on her cloak. Ayame gave him a kind smile and said hello. The little Wookiee gave a surprised grunt and ran off, joining a female that she assumed was his mother.

"Kage Ayame," Zak called her. "The Jedi Council is meeting." Ayame nodded and walked over to a large holo projector. It buzzed to life and Ayame saw projections of the entire Jedi Council.

"Welcome, Kage Ayame," Mace Windu said as she buzzed in. "We've just received some interesting news."

"Palpatine thinks General Grievous is on Utapau?" Mundi asked.

"A partial message was received in a diplomatic packet from the Chairman of Utapau," Anakin reported.

"Act on this, we must," Yoda said. "The capture of General Grievous will end this war. Quickly and decisively, we should proceed."

"The Chancellor has requested...that I lead the campaign," Anakin continued. His tone and body language conveyed that he did not think the Council would go along with this request, as his appointment to the Council had been shaky at best. He was right.

"The Council will make up it's own mind on who is to go," Windu answered. "Not the Chancellor."

"A Master is needed, with more experience," Yoda said.

"I concur," Mundi agreed. "Master Kenobi should go." Ayame saw Obi-Wan nod his agreement.

"I agree," Yoda said.

"Aye," Mundi chimed in.

"Aye," Windu said. "Kage Ayame, anything to add?"

"I agree with the Council's decision. Having trained him much myself, Anakin is not ready for this," she said. Anakin looked at her, desperately. Ayame stood her ground, despite the clear betrayal in his eyes.

"Very well," Windu said. "Council adjourned." The holoprojector cut out, and Ayame turned back to the Captain.

"There are strong power readings coming from the beach," Zak reported. "The battle is beginning."

"May the Force be with us all," Ayame said, looking around at the innocent that were now under her charge.


	5. Bothered and Betrayed

**Well, things keep changing. I just accepted my first full-time teaching position, teaching high school choir and beginner piano. I seriously can't wait to start this new chapter in my life.**

 **I do not own Star Wars. I own Ayame.**

When the battle begun, Ayame kept herself on constant alert. She had a few troopers looking for additional escape routes, but nothing kept coming up on schematics. There were a few Wookiees that tried to communicate something, but the language barrier was a difficult one to overcome.

The continued lack of a secondary escape route was making the young Gray Jedi nervous. The lack of communication from the front was only added to the stress. Top it off with some Wookiees constantly trying to talk to her, and that made one anxious woman. She was completely on edge, trying to put a mask on in order to keep her charges calm.

Further in to the battle, something changed.

Ayame noticed that the troopers were patrolling a lot more, and had completely stopped talking to her. They kept looking around nervously, and some were even holding their weapons up and scanning the gathered crowd of Wookiees. Before she could even tap into her senses, however, the child from before ran up to her and grabbed her hand, pulling her away.

"What? What is it?" Ayame asked, her anxiety at an all time high. The little one kept pointing to a certain part of the wall, with a painted picture of a strong Wookiee warrior holding their customary weapon, a bowcaster. He kept pointing at it, giving varied growls that sounded both demanding and alarmed. A closer look revealed very thin cracks around the picture. She pressed her hand on one of the cracks, and felt a faint breeze coming through.

Ayame whipped out her datapad and ran a quick scan. There was a passage behind it after all! There was an escape tunnel right in front of her, and her troops had lied to her.

"Commander!" she called, giving the young Wookiee a pat on the back, silently thanking him. The soldier came up to her. "Why is my scan showing an escape tunnel meters from me when all of your scans showed nothing?" Commander Zak looked at her, looked at the scan, and then looked toward where she was pointing.

"Are you certain that there is a tunnel there? I assure you that our scanners are functioning correctly," he said.

"Then let me scan with yours," Ayame ordered, holding out her hand. Zak seemed to hesitate. "Commander, give me your scanner. That's an order," she said again, more forcefully. Slowly, he handed over his scanner and stepped away. Ayame scanned the area again, and sure enough, there was an tunnel. "Explain," she ordered.

"My apologies, ma'am. The scanners must have been malfunctioning," he answered. Ayame handed the scanner back to him and he walked away.

More time passed. Ayame felt a little better, but the tension was still palpable. Something was wrong now, so she was on her toes. She had to get these Wookiees out of there as fast as possible, but secretly, so as not to alert the troops.

 _Alert...that's it!_

She looked around for the small Wookiee child who had brought her to the secret entrance before.

"Can you take me to your elders?" she asked him gently, He nodded and took her hand. Using the connection, Ayame tried to establish a connection through the Force. She found this young Wookiee to have the same connection as most sentient beings, but it was enough. The boy's name was Wrrladdik, which meant 'quiet guardian'. This would explain his bravery and willingness to help.

Ayame was brought before three elderly Wookiees, all with streaks of gray throughout their dark brown fur. She watched Wrrladdik greet them, and she followed suit. Waiting until all three were looking at her, Ayame spoke in a hushed voice.

"There is something wrong, here. You need to get your people out of here as quickly as possible," she said. The three Wookiees looked at each other, grunted a little, and looked back at her. "Do you have any weapons hidden in here?" The Wookiee on the left nodded. "Take the weapons and escape through the passage. I'll barricade the doors and give you as much time as I can for you all to make your escape." The Wookiee on the right gave her a quizzical growl, but the one in the middle cut him off, merely giving an affirmative grunt.

Ayame's charges began quietly gathering their things. Meanwhile, she went and found Commander Zak.

"Pull our troops out of the bunker and have them prepare for attack," she said. "I have a bad feeling." Zak paused, but a stern look from Ayame snapped him back.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, and started rattling off orders. One by one, the troops in the bunker with her left. Once she was certain they were all out, she stood just outside the huge doors. She took one last look inside, and was met with Wrrladdik looking at her, scared. She went back in and bent over to be at eye level with him.

"It'll be okay, little one," she assured him. "Trust in yourself, and in your elders. You will get out and you will have a wonderful life." He still seemed frightened. Then, Ayame had an idea. She picked up a discarded branch just outside of the door, stripped it of it's leaves and smaller branches, and handed it to him. "You know how Jedi wield lightsabers?" she asked. He nodded. "This is yours. I know it's not the same thing, but with this, you can help protect your people and yourself. Be brave, and trust in yourself." The Wookiee swung the stick a few times, and his dark brown eyes sparkled. Ayame couldn't help but laugh as he growled happily and ran off. The sight of the happy little Wookiee reinvigorated her, and assured her that she was doing the right thing.

Once she was sure that all the troops were placed outside, she turned her attention to the door. Ayame took a deep breath, and with considerable effort, closed the doors using the Force. The heavy doors seemed to move with ease, as did the huge wooden plank that held them shut. The troops jumped at the sound, but she ignored them, focusing on her task. As soon as they were shut and secure, Ayame turned to see Commander Zak standing there.

"Why did you shut the doors?" he asked, almost accusingly.

"Are you questioning my actions, Commander?" Ayame asked him. Zak pulled back slightly at her challenging tone, coupled with a fierce fire in her hazel eyes.

"No, ma'am," he replied, and went about his business. Ayame took a moment and sensed hesitation, as well as possible betrayal within her Commander. She was going to need to buy the Wookiees more time in order for them to escape.

They stood there for about 5 minutes, and nothing happened, save for the occasional sounds of explosions echoing across the water. Zak walked up to Ayame, seemingly to ask her a question, when Ayame suddenly felt a horrific pain in her chest. It was like getting stabbed with a vibroblade, and twisting it.

"Kage Ayame?" she heard Zak say. Ayame ignored it as she realized what she was feeling. As if all at once, Jedi were dying. Their deaths sent tidal waves through the Force, but there were so many happening at once, she couldn't distinguish who was who. The pain brought her to her knee as one particular pain shot through her whole body.

Anakin was in pain. He wasn't dying, but he was angry...and his hate had completely engulfed him.

 _ANI!_ She cried out in her mind, trying to reach him. There was no response.

Then, as suddenly as her senses shut out real life, she picked up the sound of several clicking blaster rifles. Right then, Ayame figured out what was happening.

The Jedi had been betrayed by their own clone troops.

All at once, her emotions came flooding out. The pain of feeling all of the deaths, the pain and sorrow at Anakin's fall, and the worry that one of those deaths was Obi-Wan; Everything manifested itself in anger. With a scream, Ayame mustered a huge storm made of Force lightning. Her eyes glowed red as she let loose all of the anger and pain on the clone troops. Through the storm, she drew her weapons and cut down the traitors. Her silver blades cut through troops one by one, sometimes with the added power of her own lightning. She didn't stop until every single troop was dead.

As her vision returned to normal, her first through was to her charges. She ran over and placed a hand on the huge doors. As she did, she sensed the last few Wookiees making their way out through the secret passage way. Satisfied, she found the nearest transport, a speeder bike, and hopped on. While a fighter would have been better, espeically to leave the system, she was still worried about Yoda.

 _Please be alright, Master Yoda_ , she thought as the speederbike cruised over the water.


	6. Prepared and Preemptive

**Hello again! Apologies, but being a full-time teacher is exhausting, especially with a concert one month away. Now that I'm used to the lesson planning process, I should be able to get this one finished in a reasonable amount of time.**

 **I own Ayame. I do not own Star Wars.**

Ayame rocketed over the water, searching for any sign of her former Master. Her first stop was the command center where she had left him. Two clone troops lie dead on the ground, beheaded. A closer look showed clear cauterization of the cuts, which meant lightsaber. As far as she could tell, Yoda was alive.

She eventually found him, as well as two Wookiees that had accompanied him, pulling branches off of a hidden ship.

"Master Yoda!" she called, leaping from her speederbike and jumping the several meters up the massive roots of the Wrooshyr tree. The two Wookiees trained their bowcasters at her, but Yoda raised a hand to tell them it was okay.

"Ayame," he said. "Glad to see you, I am."

"As am I to see you, Master," Ayame replied.

"Betrayed, we have been," Yoda said. She nodded in agreement.

"We need to leave this planet now," Ayame said. "I'll get a ship and find you." Yoda nodded and turned to his two companions.

"Goodbye, Tarfful. Goodbye, Chewbacca," Yoda said. He climbed in his ship after two long growls from the pair of Wookiees. Ayame watched the ship take off before leaving to find one of her own.

XXX

She was able to find a fighter, but not without taking down a few more clone troops, which she was more than happy to do. A quick run of the system helped her locate the homing device that each fighter had, and she disabled it, taking off and finding Master Yoda.

As they flew, she went mentally went through all of the deaths she felt, looking for Obi-Wan. He was on Utapau, she knew, and hoped that General Grievous had been destroyed. More importantly, she hoped that he was alive.

As they flew, a broadcast came over an emergency channel. After a quick adjust of the frequency, a holoprojection of Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan. He gave them coordinates to his ship, where the three of them met to discuss what had just happened.

"The Jedi Temple is in flames," Organa explained. "When I went to investigate, the troops there said it was an uprising, but when I tried to go in, they stopped me. I watched them kill a young boy who tried to help me."

"The uprising is nonsense," Ayame said. "It was betrayal, simple as that."

"I agree. Planned this, someone has," Yoda said.

"Whatever the reason, we need to get you back into the Temple, Master Yoda," Organa said. "This needs to be resolved quickly, before more Jedi die."

"I'll help you, Master Yoda," Ayame said.

"With respect, Master Ayame," Organa interjected. "You no longer have ties to the Jedi. Wouldn't helping go against your code?" Ayame looked at the senator with an impressed and surprised look on her face. Organa grinned. "Senator Amidala informed me of your new path. I did a little reading on my own."

"How did she find out?" Ayame asked.

"Your former student, Anakin Skywalker, told her," he replied. Ayame fought to keep her face even as she remembered the worst thing she had sensed.

 _Anakin. What about Anakin?_

"It does seem contradictory, yes," Ayame replied. "However, you must also consider my own position. I know that there are other members of my Order, but I have yet to locate them. And the Jedi were my home for most of my life...it's difficult not to give help to those in need."

"But what about the balance?" Organa asked.

"I will not deny that this does feel like the Force trying to restore balance," Ayame said, avoiding eye contact with her former master. "However, another part of the Code says 'Evil must not be allowed to flourish'. If the Sith are taking over the Republic, then that is Evil flourishing as far as I'm concerned."

"I'm glad you can see that," Organa said.

"Little we can do," Yoda pointed out. "Until survivors we hear from." Ayame and Organa nodded, but Ayame's heart dropped as she realized what that could mean. Even though she hadn't felt anything in the Force, there was the possibility that Obi-Wan had died. The fear gripped her heart with vice-like strength. Unable to control it, it sent a ripple through the Force that Yoda felt immediately. "Senator, would you excuse us?" he asked. Organa, noticing the wide-eyed fear that had just crossed Ayame's face, merely nodded and left the room. Once they were alone, Ayame let a single tear fall as Yoda beckoned her over. Out of habit, she knelt before him. "You are a student no longer, Ayame, but great conflict I sense in you."

"It's not conflict, Master Yoda," she said. "It's fear."

"But the fear, not the strongest emotion," Yoda pointed out. "Conflict about your loyalties, you feel." Ayame was about to say something when she did some self searching and realized that he was right. This whole time, her habit was to side with the Jedi, but she also was fighting with herself as to her duties as a Gray Jedi. It wasn't until her mind was clear that she realized just how confused she really was.

"I'm lost," she admitted. "I've concealed my emotions for so long that now that they're out, I don't know what to do."

"Consult with your teachers, you should," Yoda said. "No more help can I give you." He placed a wrinkled green hand on her shoulder. Ayame met his eyes and saw both pride and sorrow. She was certain that he still had much more to teach her, but the Force had shown her a different path, and it was one that he could not follow her down.

"You've given me so much help already, Master Yoda," Ayame said. "I'll never forget everything that you've taught me." The old Grand Master smiled. She inclined her head in a bow, and rose to go be on her own for a while. One of the crew members led her to a small chamber that was easily secluded, but still tuned in to the ships intercom system. It was sparsely furnished, with only a few tables and chairs, but Ayame moved all of them out of the way to clear a space in the center. Standing in the center, she took a relaxed stance and took a deep breath, clearing her mind.

"Not as easy as you thought it was, huh?" a clear male voice said. Ayame opened her eyes and saw Revan standing there.

"I've been a Jedi for most of my life. Breaking a habit this embedded is not as simple as I thought," Ayame admitted, grateful to see him. "Master Revan, what do I do?"

"None of us ever claimed that this was easy, Ayame," Revan answered. "It's very easy to go one way or the other, but staying neutral is harder than staying on the path of the Jedi or the Sith." Ayame looked down, silently agreeing with him. Revan sighed and walked over to her. "Reach out," he said. "Feel for the balance." Ayame did as she was bid. "Can you sense it?" Ayame nodded. "The Force has balanced itself, but now it risks tipping the other direction. The Sith are going to have control of the Galaxy, and they're not going to stop until they wipe the Jedi out."

"What should I do?" she asked.

"Follow your instincts," Revan said. "Those are the Force guiding you. Trust in yourself, and trust in the Force." With that, he vanished. Taking advantage of her still-quiet mind, Ayame took Revan's advice and looked inside herself. Sure enough, the path became clear.

"Master Yoda, Master Ayame," a voice said over the intercom. "Forgive the interruption, but Obi-Wan Kenobi has just made contact." Ayame's heart and spirit leaped into hyperspace. She ran full pelt down to the main hangar bay just as Obi-Wan's ship was docking. As he climbed out, she burst into tears, barely giving him enough room to step away from his ship. Obi-Wan opened his arms to his weeping wife, embracing her with a gladness that he didn't think he would ever experience. Barely pulling away, Ayame pulled him into a tear-stained kiss. Neither of them cared as the salty tears mixed in. When they finally came up for air, they pressed their foreheads together.

"I was afraid you were dead," Ayame whispered.

"I worried for you as well," Obi-Wan replied, tangling his hands in her cropped hair. They both stood there and allowed their racing hearts to relax. When they were finally ready, they walked out of the hangar, finding Yoda and Senator Organa waiting for them.

"How many other Jedi have managed to survive?" Obi-Wan asked as they walked slowly through the adjacent corridor.

"Heard from no one, have we," Yoda said sadly.

"I saw thousands of troops attack the Jedi Temple," Organa added. "That's why I went looking for Yoda and Kage Ayame."

"Have we heard anything from the Temple?" Obi-Wan asked, sounding confused.

"Received a coded retreat message, we have," Yoda confirmed.

"It requests all Jedi to return to the Temple," Organa explained. "It says the war is over."

"Well then we must go back," Obi-Wan said. "If there are any stragglers they will fall into the trap and be killed." Ayame felt her husband begin to get fired up.

"Suggest dismantling the coded message, you do?" Yoda asked.

"Yes, Master. There is too much at stake," Obi-Wan affirmed.

"I agree," Yoda said, nodding. "And a little more knowledge might light our way." Obi-Wan then stopped and looked at his wife.

"What about you? Is helping us going to cause a problem?" he asked, seeming genuinely worried, especially after their last conversation.

"No," Ayame said with a sense of finality. "The Force is back in balance, but as far as I can tell, it's in danger of being tipped in the opposite direction. And I'm not about to let the Sith murder and control millions of innocents." Obi-Wan smiled, glad to have his wife back.

The two of them were given a quiet room to be together in. For a while, they sat there in silence, just holding each other.

"I've had some time to think," Obi-Wan said, finally. He sat directly in front of Ayame and took her hands. "In light of what's happened...I think we should at least try for children." Ayame's heart leaped again.

"Not exactly the reason I'd like, but I'm glad you've given it thought," she commented, unable to control the smile on her face.

"However, we should at least wait until we're both safe to...try," Obi-Wan added. Ayame nodded her agreement, then her mind flew back to what Qui-Gon had told her on the way to Kashyyk. Ben noticed the smile fall from her face and looked at her, concerned. "What is it?" Ayame sighed.

"I think I know who is behind the attack on the Temple," she said quietly. Ayame began to tell Obi-Wan about the visions she'd been having for the better part of the last year and a half, carefully measuring his expression. She paused when she reached the end, studying her husband. He looked confused, sad, angry, and scared at the same time. "I didn't tell you because I was afraid that you would do something rash."

"Like try to stop him?" he asked quietly. Ayame paused. "Try to turn him away from the Dark side? Try to make him the person the prophecy meant him to be?" Ayame could hear the frustration and anger in his voice, but kept herself calm. He was upset, and she could understand why. It was now her job to keep him as calm as a Jedi should be.

"Like, in trying to prevent it, you cause it to happen," Ayame said forcefully. "That was something we were always warned about when we were in the Academy, you know this." Obi-Wan paused for a minute and looked at the floor, carefully considering her words. Ayame placed a hand on his cheek, gently guiding his face towards hers until he was looking at her again. "Ben, I don't want to believe it any more than you do, but I've been having this vision for over a year, and every time, it's the same. We have to at least entertain the possibility..."

"I won't believe it until I see it with my own eyes," Obi-Wan interrupted, shaking his head. Ayame opened her mouth to protest, but she stopped herself. There was some small hope that she was wrong, but she didn't feel confident in that doubt. Just then, Senator Organa came and found them.

"We're approaching Corescant," he said. The Kenobis nodded and followed the Senator to the bridge. Stretched out before them was the massive capital planet. Normally, everyone on board would be happy to see it, but right now, it was as terrifying as any battlefield that they had been on.

"Sir, we're receiving a message from the Chancellor's office," the captain said.

"Put it through," Organa ordered. The captain nodded and put the message on the small viewscreen in front of them. On screen was Chancellor Palpatine's Vice Chair, Mas Amedda.

"Senator Organa, the Chancellor has requested your presence at a special session of Congress," Amedda said. Ayame noticed that the Chagrian had begun wearing more armor than he did when he was Vice Chair for Chancellor Valorum.

"I will be there," Organa said.

"He will be expecting you," Amedda concluded, and the transmission cut. Organa turned to the three Masters sitting with him.

"Could be a trap," he said with a sigh.

"No, I don't think so," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head, still staring at the screen. "The Chancellor wouldn't be able to control thousands star systems without keeping the Senate in tact."

"If there's a special session of Congress, then it could be easier to sneak into the Jedi Temple," Ayame pointed out. Yoda and Obi-Wan nodded their agreement, and the three warriors steeled themselves to sneak into their own home.


	7. Weeping and Woebegone

**I own Ayame and Kamuro. I do not own Star Wars.**

As Senator Organa attended the special session of Congress, Ayame, Yoda and Obi-Wan made their assault on the Temple. Between the three of them, they made short work of every clone soldier, finding their way in very easily.

Inside, it was devastating.

Bodies of dead Jedi were everywhere. Ayame's heart broke as she saw familiar masters lying motionless on the floor. There were blaster burns all over the walls and columns, and a terrifyingly low amount of clone bodies. This wasn't an attack...it was a massacre. The three of them made their way deeper into the Temple, and came across a group of young Jedi, ranging between 4 and 10 in age. Tears welled up in Obi-Wan and Ayame's eyes as they beheld the scene.

"Not even the younglings survived," he said sadly. The two humans knelt down to get a better look.

"Killed not by clones," Yoda commented. "This padawan...by a lightsaber, he was." Ayame's stomach sank. Panic gripped her as she tore off through the temple.

"Ayame!" Obi-Wan called. Ayame seemed not to hear him. Instead, blinking the tears from her eyes, she looked at each and every face as she ran, hoping against everything to not see one face in particular.

Obi-Wan had lost sight of her, but a minute after he did, she sent a clear signal.

The pain was palpable. Obi-Wan just had to follow the waves coming off of her to find her. Outside a small classroom, Ayame was on her knees, cradling a body in her arms. He gasped when he realized who it was.

Kamuro's normally bright eyes were clouded over and empty in death. His fur was stained with Ayame's tears as she gently rocked back and forth, sobbing. What hurt the most for both of them was the long burn mark that went across the Jedi's body, a wound that could only be made by a lightsaber. Nothing Obi-Wan could say would alleviate the pain, so he did the only thing he could do. He walked to his wife and put his arms around her shoulders, letting her cry.

When Yoda joined them, Ayame had become quiet, and she was gently arranging Kamuro's body in a funerary pose. Her hazel eyes were bloodshot, and her face was emotionless.

"Sorry, I am, Ayame," Yoda said. "A good Jedi, he was."

"I always knew he would be," Ayame replied, her voice raw and rough from crying. Both Obi-Wan and Yoda couldn't miss the anger and pain she was trying to conceal. "He would have been better than me...he was better than me."

"We need to stop this from happening to anyone else," Obi-Wan said, rising. He and Yoda began to go to the main control room. Before Ayame left, she glanced in the classroom. Inside was another class of slaughtered younglings. _He died trying to defend them_ , she thought proudly. One more tear fell as she knelt and picked up his lightsaber. She activated it, and a blue blade hummed to life. Ayame looked at it hoping that it served him well enough in life. She then deactivated it and attached it to her belt. She then rummaged through his cloak until she found the crystal she'd given him as a gift when she chose him as her padawan. Pocketing it, she rose and followed Obi-Wan and Yoda. She caught up with them halfway to the control room.

"What's that?" Obi-Wan asked, nodding toward Kamuro's lightsaber.

"I'm going to give it to his parents, as well as the crystal I gave him," Ayame said. "They deserve to know that their son died a hero." Neither Yoda nor Obi-Wan argued with her. The finality in her tone made it obvious to all that nothing was going to change her mind.

XXX

"I've recalibrated the code warning all surviving Jedi to stay away," Obi-Wan said, putting the final touches on his work.

"For the clones," Yoda commented. "To discover the recalibration, a long time it will take."

"Hopefully there are still some alive to hear the message," Ayame commented from where she leaned on the wall. As Obi-Wan closed up the panel, Yoda and Ayame began to leave.

"Wait," Obi-Wan called as he walked out into the security room. "There's something I must know." Yoda and Ayame looked at each other as he walked over to a holo projector.

"If into the security recordings you go, only pain will you find," Yoda warned him.

"I must know the truth, master," Obi-Wan insisted, pressing a few buttons and rewinding the recording. All three watched as a projection of Anakin Skywalker slaying one Jedi after the next was played. Ayame closed her eyes, but she could still hear everything. Now, she could feel her husband's pain. A very small part of her wanted to say that she had warned him, but that wouldn't make the situation any better. "It can't be," Obi-Wan whispered with disbelief.

"You have done well, my new apprentice," a new projection of the Sith Lord said as Anakin knelt before him. "Now, Lord Vader, go and bring peace to the Empire."

"I can't watch anymore," Obi-Wan said, ending the playback. Like the situation with Kamuro, Ayame couldn't say anything. In one single day, the Kenobis had both lost a padawan, one to death, and one to the Dark Side.

"Destroy the Sith we must," Yoda said, tapping his cane on the floor for emphasis.

"With respect, Master Yoda, it cannot be done," Ayame replied, getting tired of repeating herself. "The Sith will never be completely destroyed. The Force will find a way."

"But the current Sith Lord can be," Obi-Wan commented. "Send me to kill the Emperor. I will not kill Anakin."

"Strong enough to defeat this Lord Sideous you are not," Yoda said.

"He's right, Ben," Ayame said. "Sideous has escaped notice for years, he's clearly very powerful."

"He's like my brother. I can't do it," Obi-wan insisted.

"Twisted by the Dark side, young Skywalker has become," Yoda replied sadly. "The boy you trained, gone he is. Consumed by Darth Vader." With that, Yoda walked away. Ayame walked over to her husband and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You were right," he said, his voice cracking. "Your vision came true."

"Ben, it has to be you," she said. "You're the only one that can even begin to get through to him."

"You said you saw him fall," he pointed out. "And he fell."

"I didn't see past that," she replied. Baby blue eyes began to sparkle with a little hope. "The future from here is blurry. The prophecy could still come true. Go to him, try to bring him back...and come back to me."

"Where are you going?"

"With Master Yoda," she replied. "I have a duty to bring down the true evil before it can flourish."

"Ayame, you can't," Ben said, suddenly grabbing her arms and squaring off with her. "I've already lost Anakin, you've lost Kamuro, we can't lose each other."

"Ben please," she said.

"I just got you back! I'm not losing you again!" he shouted, surprising both of them as he shook her slightly. There was a long, tense silence. She ended it by gently taking his face in her hands and pulling him to her, giving him a gentle, firm kiss.

"You'll never lose me," she whispered when she pulled away. Obi-Wan responded by pulling her into another kiss. This one was desperate, passionate, and strong. His arms wrapped around her, holding her in place. He poured all of his love for her, all of his emotion into that kiss. When they separated, Ayame moved her hands a little higher.

"I love you, Ayame," he said.

"And I love you, Obi-Wan," she answered. They enjoyed another moment of silence, then Obi-Wan sighed.

"I don't know where the Emperor sent Anakin," he said. "I don't know where to look." _Good point_ , Ayame thought, wracking her brain. Then…

"Padme," she said. Obi-Wan looked at her, confused. "Go find Padme. Maybe she knows something."

"You don't think…" Obi-Wan began, then as he searched his feelings, his face became a picture of resignation and sad realization.

"For her sake, I hope it's not true," Ayame said.


	8. Encounter and Enrage

Ayame finally caught up with Yoda as he was meeting with Senator Organa.

"Ayame, do this alone, I must," Yoda said as she approached.

"With respect, Master Yoda, you're going to need all the help you can get," Ayame protested. "This Sith Lord has avoided us for centuries, so this has to say something to how powerful he is."

"Your husband faces a bigger challenge," Yoda pointed out. "Fighting someone you both love, he must. He will need all the help he can get."

"Master Yoda," the Senator called. "We must go." Yoda followed him into an open-topped speeder, and the two of them flew off toward the Senate. Ayame sighed, frustrated. Her former master, someone she still respected, was facing a Lord of the Sith.

 _He's a grand master_ , said a voice in her head that sounded an awful lot like Qui-Gon.

 _And we don't know how powerful this so-called Emperor is_ , she protested.

 _You had faith in him once_ , the voice continued. _Have faith in him, and have faith in the Force._

That voice didn't completely assuage the fear, but she pulled her communicator out and contacted Obi-Wan. He didn't answer. Now she was getting angry. Her husband was facing something that no trial could prepare him for, and her former master was facing someone of equal power in the Dark Side of the Force.

And here she was….doing nothing.

Just as she was about to try Obi-Wan again, her com-link started beeping. When she answered it, she was surprised to see the image of a young male Nautolan standing there. He was dressed in a variation of the Jedi uniform, but the robes looked darker in the blue projection. A single lightsaber was in view on his belt.

"Ayame Kenobi?" he asked, his Galactic Basic tinged with his native Glee Anselm accent. "My name is Fathon. I represent the Baransu no Kage, Suma Alther. He wishes to speak with you immediately. Please meet us at these coordinates." When the coordinates came through, Ayame was surprised to see that they led to a secluded area of the industrial sector.

"The industrial sector? You're here?" she asked. Fathon merely nodded.

"Kage Suma is expecting you," he said simply, and ended the transmission. Ayame didn't know what to think. Baransu no Kage was the title given to the leader of the Gray Jedi Order, as she remembered from her studies. Up until now, the Jedi Council had just been addressing her at that rank, as they believed her to be the only one. Now, here she was, being asked to come before the actual Kage of the Order.

 _I suppose I really have nowhere else to go,_ she though, and took a speeder from the hanger to this mysterious meeting place.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The Industrial sector was below the surface of the planet, which gave way to a lot of unsavory characters hiding out. It wasn't the ideal place for a meeting, but given the recent events, Ayame had a feeling that this Kage Suma was just being cautious. She didn't blame him.

Cruising up to the location of the meeting, a small abandoned warehouse, Ayame saw Fathon waiting outside for her. His outfit resembled the Jedi uniform even closer, with the knee-high boots, long trousers, and long-sleeved tunic. However, like hers, they were a darker shade of gray. It made his blue skin bright by comparison. As she disembarked and walked up to him, he inclined his head.

"Welcome, Ayame Kenobi," he said, his voice very serene and gentle. "Thank you for coming quickly. Right this way." With that, he turned on his heel and walked in to the building. Ayame, still hesitant, followed him.

"How did you know where to find me?" she asked as they walked, eager to break the silence.

"We've known about you for some time," Fathon answered, looking back at her slightly. "With the recent events, it just became very difficult to contact you."

"And the Kage himself decided to come and find me?" They began to climb stairs.

"We were not certain if you would have believed one or two of us. The fact that you came on simply my insistence alone speaks volumes to your amount of trust," he said, sounding both surprised and impressed. A left at the top after two flights.

"I take it this is your first solo mission?" Ayame asked.

"Hardly," Fathon laughed. "I am only a Gray Knight, and am not allowed to go on solo missions just yet. However, it should not be long before the Council grants me the title of Koawan. I have been on many missions since my knighting, and each one was a success."

"I wish you the best, then," Ayame said.

"Thank you," he replied. They stopped at a doorway (The third door on the right) which slid open, and the Nautolan stepped aside, extending his right hand. "Just in here, please," he said. Ayame carefully stepped through.

An old human man, wearing a uniform similar to Fathons - though opting for the long skirt Ayame had seen some Jedi wear - sat in the middle of the room. Behind him on his right side was a Zabrak female. She was bald, which showed off her tan tattoos and pale horns decorated with silver jewelry. Her uniform was almost identical to Ayames, though with no hood. Like Fathon, everyone in the room was wearing a similar shade of gray. The Zabrak had a large, dual-bladed lightsaber at her left hip, while the old man had a single one on his right.

"Ayame Kenobi, welcome," the old man said. "I am Kage Suma Alther. This is Maenowan Klareta of the Fire Warriors." He motioned to the Zabrak, who inclined her head. "Ayame's hazel eyes flicked to the flame tattoo on her right arm. "We are grateful you could join us."

"The honor is mine, Kage Suma," Ayame said, bowing. "I'm only surprised that you would contact me now, of all times."

"Everyone is in a crisis," Klareta said. "We must make sure all are safe."

"Does this mean that the Gray order is finally going to join the war?" Ayame asked.

"The war is over," Suma said. "The Sith have won. We are here to bring you back with us to Zonama Sekot, to safety and training."

"Safety and training?" Ayame repeated, confused.

"You're a Teidowan, at best, Ayame Kenobi," Klareta said, looking her over with a slightly snide look on her face. "The Jedi Council may have given you the rank of Kage, but they do not have that authority."

"That authority lies with the Council of Balance," Fathon chimed in behind Ayame.

"Now, let's not be hasty, Klareta," Suma chided. "I'd say she's at least earned her knighthood, based on the combat experience and knowledge of the Force she already has gained."

"With respect, Kage, she does not know of our ways," Klareta protested.

"Would it help to say that I trained on Odessen for some time?" Ayame asked. "Several spirits of Jedi and Sith past helped me learn my craft and my knighthood."

"And who would presume to give you that title?" Klareta challenged. Ayame met her eyes with an even gaze.

"Revan." The Zabrak's eyes grew wide.

"Revan...as in….THE Revan?" she said quietly. Ayame nodded.

"All the more reason you must return with us," Suma said. "We will leave immediately for Zonama Sekot."

"I'm sorry," Ayame said. "Thank you for the offer, but I cannot join you. There is too much as risk here."

"Who said we were giving you an option?" Klareta smirked, putting a hand on her weapon. Ayame placed a hand on one of her lightsabers.

"I do not wish to fight anyone here," she said. "There have been enough Force Users destroyed this day. Surely we can all leave peacefully."

"We will all be leaving, whether you wish to or not," Klareta said, and she whirled her saber above her head, activating two purple blades.

"Klareta, stop!" Suma called, but it seemed that the Fire Warrior didn't hear him. She leaped over to Ayame with a downward slash, barely giving Ayame a chance to respond. She brought her twin silver blades up and caught the slash, the sabers crackling and sparking as they clashed.

"Maenowan, please!" Ayame heard Fathon call out, but Klareta pressed her attack. Ayame backed out of the room, defending herself. Every attack was only meant to disable, but Ayame wasn't about to give her that chance. She retraced her steps through the building, but she went into the main part of the warehouse, which was empty. Whirring, humming, and clashing echoed through the abandoned building. The Zabrak warrior was on the offensive, determined to subdue Ayame. All Ayame could do was dodge, block, and evade. They fought for several minutes, and when they finally got to a break, with Ayame high in the rafters, she tried to get information.

"What is so important about bringing me in?" Ayame called down.

"What does it matter to you? You do what your superiors tell you to do, child!" Klareta called back. Ayame could sense her anger, and she seemed to be trying to temper it with something...but it was failing. That was her advantage. She had to push Klareta to the breaking point, and get her to lose control.

"What superior?" she called down. "So far, I've evaded or caught every attack you've made, and you haven't made a hit once!"

"You're a skilled fighter, I'll give you that," Klareta responded. "But what about your knowledge of the Force?" With that, she launched a bolt of Force Lightning into the rafters, causing Ayame to have to leap down. She slashed a few falling pieces of debris before firing her own bolt at Klareta, who caught it with her lightsaber. Ayame kept on the assault, abandoning her own blades for lightning.

"We're on the same side here, Klareta! Yet here you are, trying to bring me against my will and failing!" Klareta let out a scream and launched herself at Ayame again, throwing the barrage of lightning away.

Time slowed down. Ayame watched the leap and saw an opening. She threw a Force push at Klareta's outstretched legs, throwing the Zabrak off balance. As soon as the push was away, Ayame summoned her blades, disabled Klareta's weapon, and pinned her to the floor, holding her right blade to her throat.

"Enough!" A loud voice rang out. Ayame turned her head to see Suma standing there, with Fathon next to him. "Ayame, please let Klareta up." Ayame turned back to Klareta, made eye contact with her, then stood up, deactivating her lightsaber as she did. "Klareta, when I said we had to bring Ayame in, I didn't mean my Force. Ayame, I apologize. It was never our intention to cause you any stress or harm."

"You will return to your ship, and you will leave Coruscant. If this is what your Order has become, then I will learn and study on my own. I do not need your Council's approval to be who I am." Ayame faced the Kage full on, the Force radiating from her. Suma was about to open his mouth, but as he did, her com-link beeped. Not taking her eyes off of the old man, she pulled it out of her belt and answered. It was Senator Organa.

"Master Ayame," he said. "Please meet me at the Senate. We need to leave Coruscant immediately."

"I'll be there soon," Ayame replied, and ended the call. Suma and Fathon silently stepped aside, leaving the exit clear for her. "I wish you all the best in the dark days to come." Without another word, she left.


	9. Endings and Extremes

**I do not own Star Wars. I own Ayame.**

For a soft moment, as she was fleeing to the Senate, Ayame felt alone. She wasn't a Sith, a Jedi, or even a Gray.

She belonged to no order.

Ayame Kenobi was alone.

She met with Senator Organa and Master Yoda just as the ship was completing its final checks for departure. Through a combination of influence from the Senator and Force use of her own, both Jedi and Gray were able to come aboard unseen. Through a hasty conversation, Master Yoda sadly informed her that he had failed to kill the Emperor and that he was placing himself in self-imposed exile.

"Your meeting with the Gray, not go as you expected, it did?" he asked. Ayame was about to ask how he knew, but years of being his apprentice and learning from him had taught her to not question him. It would have been a simple matter for Yoda to sense their presence, especially if they were not attempting to hide it.

"No, it didn't," she replied. "The master was kind enough, as was one of the knights. One did not seem to have good control over her rage and tried to forcefully subdue me. They also wanted me to leave Courescant with them."

"And you said no?" Ayame looked at her former master, confused.

"Should I have said yes?"

"That decision is yours alone," Yoda replied and walked off to meditate. As Ayame watched him go, she pondered his words.

The Gray Jedi Order had a Code, just as the Sith and Jedi did. In her time at the Temple, there were plenty of Jedi who, while never truly falling, interpreted the Code as they saw fit, but still did the right thing when it needed to happen. She had done something similar by following the call of the Force wherever it took her. Qui-Gon had done that by fighting to get Anakin trained, among other things.

 _I am who I am,_ she thought. _The Code does not define me, yet it gives me something to aspire to. I don't need a Council or Order to tell me that what I'm doing is the right thing. I know right from wrong, and I trust in the Force...right?_ she thought as she wandered the halls of the ship. They came to a secret base on a deserted asteroid to wait on Obi-Wan. They weren't sure how he had managed to track Anakin down, and for the sake of his safety, and the safety of everyone at the base, she avoided contacting him. Instead, she went to find a quiet room, sat down, and began to meditate. In trying to clear her head, she focused on one single question that had been on her mind since they left Coruscant: _Did I do the right thing?_

 _That is something only you can decide,_ a familiar voice said. Ayame opened her eyes and saw Revan walking toward her.

"Revan," she said, moving to stand. The spirit held up his hand, stopping her. Instead, he moved and sat down next to her.

 _That was a tough decision,_ he said as he sat.

"One I didn't think I'd have to make so soon," Ayame replied. "I can't believe they don't want to at least help those who need it."

 _The Gray who live on Zenoma have been removed from most of the galaxy for some time,_ Revan said. _They have chosen a life of contemplation, study, and dedication to keeping the balance. I take it that life is not appealing to you._

"Hardly. I can't sit by while innocents are caught up in the fighting," she said. "It may be the Will of the Force that the Jedi are almost eliminated, but I will not stand idly by while people get caught in the crossfire."

 _And what if that is also the Will?_ Ayame's head snapped toward Revan, her eyes wide with anger and disbelief.

"I refuse to believe that," she said, her voice low and barely above a whisper.

 _Your Jedi would say that, as would the Sith...and the Gray_ , he pointed out. _Millions suffered at my hands before I was brought to the Light. Is it that far fetched?_

"All life returns to the Force, but not all life feels its will or notices its presence," Ayame said, standing up. "We cannot expect the masses to understand what they feel because they do not feel it. But you know what I feel? Their fear, their sorrow, their pain. You may have resigned yourself to feel it, but I can't; not when it's this close to me. Ani's pain was bad enough, but the pain of the masses across the galaxy? It's tearing into me like a thousand knives." By now, she was standing, lightning crackling at her fingertips, and the loose pieces of furniture in the room floating just slightly off the ground. The whole room was vibrating with her anger. Revan sat there, calmly watching her.

 _Good_. His answer caught her off guard. The vibration abruptly stopped, furniture hit the floor, and Ayame's face softened as her angry tears ran down her face out of confusion.

"What?"

 _Good,_ he said again, rising. _You've acknowledged your emotions, and have noticed the emotions around you. Living things, whether they know it or not, commune through the Force. A lack of empathy for them does not make you stronger. It makes you more akin to a droid. Your desire to do the right thing and your acknowledgment of the pain you are feeling will bring you closer to the Force and only make it easier for you to do your duty as a keeper of balance._ Ayame opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by a beep.

"Kage Ayame?" said Senator Organa's voice. "Master Kenobi has just made contact." Ayame blinked, and Revan was gone. However, she heard his voice inside her head.

 _Go. He needs you now, more than ever._

Without another word, Ayame went to the landing bay. Two sights made her stomach and heart drop simultaneously. The first was the sight of a Naboo senatorial cruiser, which meant Padme had become involved. The second was Obi-Wan coming down the ramp with a very pregnant and unconscious Padme in his arms. They rushed her to the medical center, where she was isolated and promptly examined.

Ayame disliked having droids as doctors and nurses. They were useful for some things, like not panicking during emergencies, but they were useless for bedside manner, as AI could only be programmed to mimic so much sentient emotion. She also hated not being able to read the faces of droids, thereby picking up on what type of news they were about to get. One of the medical droids came out and addressed her, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Senator Organa.

"Medically, she's completely healthy," the droid began. "For reasons we can't explain, we're losing her."

"She's dying?" Obi-Wan said, giving voice to the shock everyone was feeling.

"We don't know why. She's lost the will to live. We have to operate quickly if we're going to save the babies," the droid continued.

"Babies?" Organa asked.

"She's carrying twins," the droid answered. Obi-Wan's hand found its way to Ayames, and she grasped it. Neither of them could take their eyes off of the dying senator in front of them. Internally, they both wondered if Anakin knew of her state.

XXX

A cry of pain echoed through the med center as Padme was induced into labor. A midwife droid spoke calmly as her first child was born.

"Isita Oydo," it said, announcing the birth of a boy.

"Luke," Padme breathed, naming the child. The droid handed him to Obi-Wan, who cradled him in his arms and held him close to his mother. "Oh Luke," she said, looking at him. The reprieve was short-lived as the second child made its way into the world.

"Isita Oydah," the droid announced.

"It's a girl," Obi-Wan said as the droid passed the baby to Ayame.

"Leia," Padme said. Ayame brought Leia up to her mother, and the Kenobis sat there with their friend for a moment.

"Obi-Wan," Padme said, her voice becoming stronger. "There is good in him. I know...there's…." Pain like a vibroblade tore through Ayames heart as she and Obi-Wan watched Padme breathe her last. They looked at each other and then down at the newborns in their arms. When they looked back at this moment, they wondered what terrified them more: the prospect of the two never knowing what a wonderful person their mother was, or their father - their very powerful father - finding them and raising them to be like him.

XXX

It was agreed that the babies were to be separated for their safety. They couldn't risk Anakin or the Emperor finding them and turning them into the powerful Force users that their father was. Senator Organa and his wife agreed to take Leia, as they had spoken of adopting a girl for some time. Obi-Wan and Ayame decided to take Luke to his Uncle Owen on Tatooine and keep a watch over him from a distance. It was remote enough that the two could make a home and be hidden from the Empire. Ayame agreed to help Obi-Wan with his training to commune with those who had become one with the Force, as she and Yoda had confirmed that Qui-Gon had found his way out of the netherworld and was now with the thousands of Jedi and Sith who came before them. She had a feeling that he would be talking with his old master frequently once he mastered the technique.

The flight to Tatooine was a quiet one. Thanks to some unassuming clothing and a few tricks up their sleeves, they passed as a refugee couple with a newborn easily. The whole time, Ayame fought the urge to reach out and check on Anakin. Her heart wanted to check on him more than anything in the world, but from what Obi-Wan had told her of their fight on Mustafa, the Ani they had all but raised together was gone. Instead, she turned her focus to the baby in their arms as they traveled beyond Mos Eisley to the Lars moisture farm on Eopie, keeping him calm and quiet, telling him stories of his mother and her adventures. It was sunset by the time they reached the farm. Owen Lars' wife, Beru, happily took the baby from Ayame as Obi-Wan explained what happened to Anakin.

"Where is he?" Owen asked, wondering where his stepbrother was.

"He's dead," Obi-Wan replied, keeping to the story to protect the child. "Padme died soon after childbirth. You're his only family now."

"How?" Owen pressed. "How did Anakin die?"

"He betrayed the Order, Padme, and us," Ayame said. "In the end, it was his anger and hatred that consumed him."

"So you killed him," Owen said, getting visibly angry.

"He destroyed himself," Ayame replied. Owen looked at the baby in Berus arms and was silent for a moment.

"I think you should go," he finally said, not looking at them. His voice was low and quiet, betraying his true feelings. "Luke doesn't need to know about any of this. If you care for his safety, then stay away." Ayame opened her mouth to protest, but Obi-Wan placed a hand on her arm. When she looked at him, he shook his head. The Lars' walked away with their nephew, and the Kenobis mounted their Eopie and rode away. Ayame hoped that they would see the boy again, and because supply stations were scarce, the chances were good.

XXX

The Jedi and the Gray were able to build their new home quickly, living on the far edge of the Dune Sea. It was close enough to the Lars Homestead to keep an eye on Luke, but far enough away that they kept Owen happy. On their first night in the completed home, Ayame was staring into the fire, realizing where she was and what her life was to become.

"We're hermits," she said aloud.

"What?" Ben said, looking at her.

"A life of solitude, meditation, and contemplation," she said. "This is the life I wanted to avoid, but here we are."

"It's not so bad," Ben said, squeezing her shoulder slightly. Ayame sat up and looked at him, confused. "We have each other," he continued. She smiled and leaned in towards him. He met her in the middle and the two shared their first kiss since the Temple. Reveling in the feeling, the kiss escalated and before Ayame knew what was happening, she was on her back, with her husband above her.

"We have a bed, Ben," she said in between passionate kisses.

"We have a home, May," he replied, kissing down her neck, sliding her tunic out of his way as he did. Ayame giggled, which turned into a moan as Bens mouth made contact with her breast. Her fingers tangled in his brown hair as he continued his journey downward, removing clothing as he went. As her boots came off, she realized that he was still clothed, and that would never do. She grabbed the collar of his tunic and pulled him upward. One hand made quick work of his belt as the other worked the padding off of his shoulders. Ben gave a satisfied hum as he helped her with her task until both of them were as bare as the day they were born. He leaned over, allowing her to guide him by his shoulders until he was resting on top of her. Her hazel eyes sparkled in the firelight, and he realized that they could be a husband and wife at long last, a normal husband and wife. That thought made him happier than he thought he could be.

"What is it?" she asked, noticing his pause.

"Just thinking about how lucky I am to have a wife to spend the rest of my life with," he replied. A genuine smile graced Ayames battle-worn features, and at that moment, she was the young Padawan he remembered, the happy young woman he had fallen in love with, and the strong young Knight he shared a bed with many a time. With another passionate kiss, he slowly slid into her. The two stayed still for a moment, Ayames cry echoing across the house, possibly the desert. A buck of her hips got them both moving, and their voices mingled in the night air. It was a mix of wordless cries of pleasure and fervent whispered words or a name said by the partner. For the first time in a while, Ben and Ayame let themselves go. The sheer pleasure in their actions was one that they seldom allowed themselves to feel, and now that they had to hide, they had more freedom than ever.

With a final cry of each others names and a final thrust, the two reached their peaks simultaneously. Their bodies shook and for a moment, they were still. When the tremors subsided, Ben helped a wobbly Ayame to bed and held her as sleep came for them both. They shared a single thought as their minds went quiet:

 _This is where I'm meant to be_.

XXX

 **Hello there.**

 **First of all, I'M SO SORRY! The last two summers were a complete whirlwind for me. Last summer, I got hired as a full-time teacher two months after I got married. This summer, my husband and I bought a house, moved closer to my job, and my husband started CDL training to be a bus driver for the school district I work in. For some reason, this chapter was causing me the WORST writers block, and I just couldn't make the story flow the way I wanted to. I finally came up with a draft I was happy with, and what you just read was the final result.**

 **Thank you so much for reading the final part of my prequel fic series. Much love to all of you, especially in the coming school year!**


End file.
